When youíre searching for a home to buy, youíll probably attend many different open houses. The open house is meant to help you get a feel for different properties. While you canít get to know all the ins and outs of a home in a short time, you can get an understanding of some of the best things (and not so great things) about a property. Below, youíll find some of the biggest warning signs that a property may not be all that it appears to be.

Thereís A Lot Of Odor Masking Elements In Place

When you walk into an open house, you may get the smell of freshly baked cookies or a lovely candle. While these are great marketing techniques, they also can be a tactic to hide things. Perhaps there are some offensive odors in the house from mold, leaks, smoke, or mildew. You may not be prepared to deal with these kinds of problems once you move into a home.

You Notice Glaring Issues

While the home inspection will reveal many problems that may be invisible to the casual observer, you should still be on the lookout for issues on the surface of the home during the open house. These issues can include cracks in the ceiling or walls, cracks in the floor, or even squeaky floor boards. If you happen to see patchy walls in the home, that could indicate that repairs have been made several times. Be alert for these potential problems.

Does The Home Look Well-Kept?

When you pull up in front of the home is the lawn trim? Does the home appear clean? While everyone would hope that a homeowner would clean up their property before an open house, small and big things like this can indicate a bigger problem. If the home is not cared for on the surface, how many other underlying maintenance issues are there in the home? Neglected regular maintenance can cause larger problems of all kinds in a home.

Strange Cosmetic Fixes

A freshly painted wall could be suspect of a big problem. Under the paint could be mold, cracks, or other issues. Some homeowners do put fresh paint on their walls before selling in order to give the home a neutral feel. However, you should be on the lookout for other signs of problems in the home.

Channel Your Inner Detective

While you donít need to dig as deep into a home as a home inspector does, you should be on the lookout as you scan a home for the potential livability for you. Things like glaring cracks in the ceiling, or a strong odor of cigarette smoke could be signs of future problems living in the home. The open house is your time to find a home that fits you and your life, so make the most of the opportunity.

23 Wynn Way ,
Brewster, MA 02631

Brewster (village)

Single-Family

$449,000

Price

8

Total Rooms

4

Beds

2/2

Full/Half Baths

You will love swimming, boating and fishing from your private association beach. Only .1th of a mile stroll to association dock and beach on Upper Mill Pond. Lovely 4 bedroom Cape located on 3/4th of an acre lot in prestigious Canoe Pond Estates One bedroom is on the first level with first floor laundry. Open living space of living room (with fireplace), the dining room and eat in kitchen. Finished walkout basement and brand new state of the art gas heating system. Impeccably maintained, one builder/owner, new rugs fresh paint, JUST MOVE IN! First time offered. Buyers and agents to verify all representations

Town Info

23 Wynn Way,
Brewster: Brewster (village), MA 02631

Brewster (village)

Single-Family

$449,000

Price

8

Total Rooms

4

Beds

2

Baths

You will love swimming, boating and fishing from your private association beach. Only .1th of a mile stroll to association dock and beach on Upper Mill Pond. Lovely 4 bedroom Cape located on 3/4th of an acre lot in prestigious Canoe Pond Estates One bedroom is on the first level with first floor laundry. Open living space of living room (with fireplace), the dining room and eat in kitchen. Finished walkout basement and brand new state of the art gas heating system. Impeccably maintained, one builder/owner, new rugs fresh paint, JUST MOVE IN! First time offered. Buyers and agents to verify all representations

Town Info

Open houses are essential for selling your home. They give buyers the opportunity to tour your home and visualize them living there. But an open house can also have a negative affect on buyers if the proper steps arenít taken in advance. Letís take a look at the tips below to help ensure a successful open house.†Clean & Organize: It is very important to clean and organize your home before your open house. A clean home gives the buyers an opportunity to see the home for what it is, and not all of your stuff and clutter. While touring your home, it will give the buyers the opportunity to visualize themselves living in the home and how they would set up each room. Clutter makes it difficult to do this as it makes rooms look smaller and covers up the true potential.
Remove Personality: Itís best to remove your personality from your home when selling, and especially before an open house. You can always add your things back in after the open house. Things like pictures and picture frames, your childrenís drawings on the refrigerator, other personal belongings, and so on. Removing your personality and creating a neutral home will better allow for buyers to visualize themselves living there and making it their own.
Photos & Video: Since online research is often the first step one takes in the home buying process, the photos and video of your home will be the first impression that a buyer has. And you want to make that the best first impression possible. Having amazing photos of your home and posting them with your listing and online will likely attract more interest and therefore attracting more buyers to your open house. Photos that are not so great may make even the most amazing home seem drab and not worth the travel to the open house. The photos you place online could make or break a homebuyers interest and desire to see more.
Social Media: Utilizing social media is the best way to get the word out about your home being on the market and your upcoming open house. Realtors and agents are already using it, but you should also be taking advantage of it. Sharing or creating posts of your online listing and asking your friends to share will only benefit you. Youíd be surprised how many will comment on posts to tag their friends and family. It may bring more buyers and in turn speed up the sale of your home.
Follow these tips for the most successful open house possible. Itís important to be mindful of the market and your home when determining what successful means, but what is important is an offer or multiple offers if youíre lucky. So spruce up your home and follow these tips and you should be on your way to placing a sold sign in front of your home in no time.

Are you thinking about going house shopping? Moving? Need decorating ideas? Use this website to find a current listing of open houses in your area. Grab a note book, a pen and a GPS. Note the times and dates of all open houses you wish to attend. Bring your camera or phone for photos. Be sure all batteries are charged and ready to go. This way when you think back to the kitchen in House #1 versus House #4 you have a photo of the front door, front yard and a description in your notebook, specifically about each home you visited. Especially if your house hunting and not just looking for decorating tips.
If you are thinking of relocating, you have to do a bit more research. You will have to be more specific about the area you want to relocate to. Another alternative is to limit your search by typing in both the city and state, followed by open houses. This will allow you to narrow down your selection, right down to number of bedrooms and bathrooms we have listed. The nice thing about searching our site is there will be many more photos to look at than the newspaper. If you are extremely intrigued by what you see online, you can make an afternoon or day trip out of it by visiting the open houses of interest. Be sure to call us as soon as possible to book a showing. Houses are going fast these days.